Often the walls or architectural elements of a building are exposed to moisture. Moisture and water or water vapor can collect on surfaces. Such moisture has several origins, such as, for example, water vapor diffusion and air leakage from the interior or exterior. Trapped or collected moisture within walls or other elements may bring adverse effects, including corrosion of the element or nearby structures, erosion of structural integrity and/or growth of mold or other microbes. The building industry has recognized that one means of reducing moisture collection is to control air leakage, i.e., to control the movement of air and water vapor through the building envelope. Under ordinary circumstances, the movement of air into a building (infiltration) and out of a building (exfiltration) may be caused by pressure differences produced by wind, stack or chimney effect and fan pressurization. Air leakage may follow such paths as holes or openings through the envelope, for example, cracks or joints between infill components and structural elements or through porous materials such as concrete block and porous insulation materials. Various formulations for barrier and films that serve to control air flow have been developed and have helped to reduce the moisture collection and associated problems to some degree.
Nonetheless, growth of mold and other microbes remains a problem, especially in humid geographies. However, no conventional architectural barriers have been formulated to address this problem. Thus, there remains a need in the art for an architectural barrier that functions to control air flow and simultaneously to reduce the growth of mold and/or other microbes.